Spinning balloon device



July 29, 1969 J. GREEN 3,

SPINNING BALLOON DEVICE Filed Sept. 1. 1965 mvs'uron JOSEPH GREENATTORNEY United States Patent 3,457,669 SPINNING BALLOON DEVICE JosephGreen, Hewlett, N.Y., assignor to Miner Industries, Inc., New York,N.Y., a corporation of Delaware Filed Sept. 1, 1965, Ser. No. 484,188Int. Cl. A68h 27/06, 27/10 US. Cl. 4653 Claims ABSTRACT OF THEDISCLOSURE This invention relates to a spinning balloon device for useas a toy or decoration.

An object of this invention is to provide a toy or decoration thatincludes an inflated rubber balloon which is made to spin or rotate inresponse to relative movement of air past the balloon, thereby affordinga novel and attractive appearance to the device.

Another object is to provide a spinning balloon device which is simpleand inexpensive to manufacture and assemble.

A further object is to provide a device of the described characterhaving attaching means by which the balloon may be held or secured whilepermitting rotation or spinning of the balloon.

In accordance with an aspect of this invention, a balloon, preferably ofelongated configuration, extends through a central hole formed in apropeller member so that the latter constricts the balloon when inflatedand thereby secures the propeller member on the balloon, and attachingmeans are connected to the balloon, preferably at the usual neckprovided for inflation of the balloon, so as to permit rotation of theballoon by the propeller member in response to relative movement of airpast the balloon and propeller member.

The above, and other objects, features and advantages of the invention,will be apparent in the following detailed description of illustrativeembodiments thereof which is to be read in connection with theaccompanying drawing, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of a spinning balloon device embodyingthis invention;

FIG. 2 is an elevational view of a propeller member included in thespinning balloon device of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a side elevational view illustrating the assembling togetherof the balloon and propeller member prior to inflation of the balloon;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged elevational view of a coupling assembly includedin the device of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken along the line 55 on FIG. 4; and

FIG. 6 is a view similar to that of FIG. 2, but showing a modified formof propeller member.

Referring to the drawing in detail, and initially to FIG. 1 thereof, itwill be seen that a spinning balloon device 10 embodying the invention,as there shown, generally comprises a balloon 11, a propeller member 12,and a coupling assembly 13 by which the balloon 11 is secured to astring 14, stick or other means for anchoring or holding the device 10during its operation.

As shown particularly on FIG. 3, the balloon 11 is of 3,457,669 PatentedJuly 29, 1969 a conventional type formed of rubber or other elasticmaterial, and is preferably of elongated configuration with a neck 15 atone end formed with a rim or bead 16 extending around its mouth throughwhich the balloon may be inflated. Prior to inflation of the balloon 11,the latter is extended lengthwise through a relatively small hole 17formed at the center of propeller member 12. The hole 17 is preferablynon-circular, for example, of square configuration, as shown, so thatwhen balloon 11 is inflated to form inflated portions 11a and 11b atopposite sides of propeller member 12 with a constriction 11c at theloca tion of the propeller member, as shown on FIG. 1, the non-circularconfiguration of hole 17 grips the balloon at the constriction toprevent rotation of the propeller member relative to the balloon.

The propeller member 12, which is formed of any suitably rigid material,such as, for example, blow-molded plastic or stiff cardboard, liesgenerally in a plane normal to the longitudinal axis of the elongatedballoon 11 and includes vane-like portions 18 which are twisted, as isapparent on FIGS. 1 and 3, so as to lie at an angle to such plane. Thepropeller member 12 may include only two oppositely directed vane-likeportions 18, as shown on FIG. 2, or, as shown on FIG. 6, a propellermember 12a may be provided with a greater number of vane-like portions18a which are equally, angularly spaced about the central hole 17a. Itis further apparent that the vane-like portions 18 or 18a of thepropeller member may have various peripheral configurations forenhancing the appearance of the balloon device 10.

After the balloon 11 has been inflated, its neck 15 is knotted, as at 19(FIG. 1), or otherwise closed, and then engaged with the couplingassembly 13.

As shown particularly on FIGS. 4 and 5, the coupling assembly 13includes two relatively rotatable coupling members 20 and 21 so that,when the balloon is secured to coupling member 20 and coupling member 21is secured to the string 14, the balloon 11 is free to spin or rotateabout its longitudinal axis without causing twisting of the string 14.

In the arrangement shown, coupling member 20 includes a stem 22 ofcircular cross-section having a ball 23 and an eye or ring 24 formedintegrally therewith at the opposite ends of stem 22. The couplingmember 21 is shown to be generally of hook-shaped configuration and isformed with an attaching eye 25 and a bore 26 (FIG. 5) which extendsthrough the bight of the hook-shaped form and which opens at one sidethereof through a slot 27 having converging sides. Both coupling members20 and 21 may be formed of molded plastic and are assembled together bysnapping the stem 22 of coupling members 20 laterally through the slot27 into bore 26'of coupling member 21. Axial removal of coupling member20 from coupling member 21 is prevented by the ball 23 having a greaterdiameter than the bore 26, while the diameter of the stem 22 is slightlysmaller than that of the bore 26, but greater than the width of slot 27at the inner end of the latter. Thus, stem 22 is free to rotate withinbore 26.

After the neck 15 of inflated balloon 11 has been knotted or otherwiseclosed, the mouth portion of the neck is passed through eye 24 ofcoupling member 20 and is thereafter retained or held againstinadvertent removal from eye 24 by means of the head or thickened rim 16extending around the mouth. Finally, the string 14 is connected tocoupling member 21, as by knotting the string through eye 25 of thatcoupling member.

When the above described device 10 is held or secured by the string 14and there is a relative movement of air past the balloon 11 andpropeller member 12, for example, as a result of a breeze or of movingthe device 10 through the air, such relative air movement acts on thevane-like portions 18 of propeller member 12 to effect rotation thereof.Since propeller member 12 is held against relative rotational movementwith respect to inflated balloon 11, the latter turns with the propellermember and thereby provides a novel and attractive appearance which maybe further enhanced by printing or otherwise forming various coloreddesigns on the balloon 11. Such attractive and novel appearance of thespinning balloon device 10 makes the latter particularly suited as a toyor decoration.

What is claimed is:

1. The combination of a substantially rigid propeller member having acentral, non-circular hole, (a) an elongated balloon extending throughsaid hole so as to have substantial portions of said balloon disposed atopposite sides of said propeller member to secure said propeller memberon said balloon when the latter is inflated, and attaching meansconnected to said balloon and permitting rotation of the balloon by saidpropeller member in response to relative movement of air past saidballoon and propeller member.

2. The combination as in claim 1; wherein said attaching means includesrelatively rotatable coupling members.

3. The combination as in claim 2; wherein said balloon 4 has a neckthrough which the balloon is inflated and which is grasped by one ofsaid coupling members.

4. The combination as in claim 3; wherein said attaching means furtherincludes a string extending from the other of said coupling members sothat twisting of said string in response to rotation of the balloon isavoided by relative rotation of said coupling members.

5. The combination as in claim 1; wherein said propeller member extendsgenerally in a plane normal to the longitudinal axis of the balloon andhas vane-like portions at an angle to said plane for rotation by saidrelative movement of air past said balloon and propeller member.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,725,831 8/1929 Sherman 46881,994,842 3/1935 Turner 4689 1,967,138 7/1934 Wiener 4687 F. BARRY SHAY,Primary Examiner C. R. WENTZEL, Assistant Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 4688

